Hen&#39;s nest.



McDONALD ALEXANDER.

HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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MoDONALD ALEXANDER.

HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912.

1,083,980. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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MCDONALD ALEXANDER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

HENS NEST.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 2, 1912.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Serial No. 681,055.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MCDONALD ALEXAN- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birn'iingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hens Nests, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in hens nests and more particularly to self closing nests and the ob ect of my invention is to improve the construction and increase the efficiency of nests of the above described character.

A further object of my invention is to provide a nest having a tilting floor which, in one position, closes the entrance to the nest, said floor being adaptedto be tilted by the weight of the hen passing over the same. And a still further object of my invention is to provide a nest proper which is so mounted upon the inner end of the tilting platform as to at all times be horizontal irrespective of the tilting of the platform.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my device and then specifically pointed out in the claim which is attached to and forms a part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved liens nest. Fig. 2 is a plan with the top and front removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the nest, showing the same in nor mal position. Fig. 4; is a similar View showing the nest in closed position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, the body of my nest as shown is substantially rectangular in shape, including spaced side members 10 and 11, a back member 12, a top member 13 to which is hinged the front member 141, and a tilting floor 15, said body member being supported in spaced position with respect to the ground by legs 16 carried by the side members 11. This body may be formed of wood or sheet metal as preferred, the tilting floor being preferably formed from a plurality of spaced strips 17 which extend longitudinally of the body and which are secured in proper spaced relation by means of a plurality of transverse strips preventing another hen from entering.

18. The rear end of the floor member is provided with a rectangular shaped opening 19 and a nest proper 20 is mounted to swing in this opening by means of pins 21 which are passed through bearings carried by the side portions of the floor and which pass through the upper portions of the sides of the nest 20. By this means the floor 15 may be tilted at any angle and the nest 20 will at all times lie in a horizontal plane. The tilting floor is mounted in position between the sides of the body by means of pivot pins 22 which pass through the sides of the body and engage in bearings formed on the outer edges of the floor, these pins being so positioned that the weight of the floor in advance of the pins is greater than the weight of the remaining portion of the floor together with the nest, whereby the forward end of the floor is normally held in open position to permit the hen to enter between it and the lower edge of the front wall 14. As a means for limiting the upward swinging of the nest I have provided the sides 10 and 11 with stop blocks 28 which extend in the path of the rear end of the floor and so limit the upward motion of the floor. The floor is so mounted however that the weight of a hen in the nest 20 will cause the rear end of the floor to swing downwardly until the forward end strikes against the lower end of the front wall 14, thus closing all e11- trance to the nest. The front wall 14, be ing hinged to the top, forms a door permitting of ready access to the nest even when the nest proper is in lowered position and the ordinary entrance is closed. To prevent further downward swinging of the nest proper when the door is open I have provided the sides 10 and 11 with stop blocks 2 1 adapted to engage beneath the rear end of the nest.

In operation the nest normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. The hen upon entering passes along the floor to the nest proper 20 and as soon as she enters the nestthe added weight causes the forward end of the floor to swing up and close the nest thus As soon as the hen leaves the nest and passes forwardly along the floor her weight causes the forward end of the floor to tilt downwardly and thus open the nest.

It will of course be understood that minor changes in details of construction may be made if desired, Without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my inventlon.

What I claim is A hens nest including a box having an open bottom legs supporting said box in raised position, a tilting platform pivoted to said box to form a closure for the bottom, said platform having an opening adjacent 10 one end, and a nest box pivotally supported in the opening of the platform and arranged. to permit one edge of the box to be swung below the platform to permit access to the box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

MCDONALD ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

H. E. MoDoNALn, JOHN MCDONALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

